Tauranga Community Housing Trust

Submitted by daftvinz on Tue, 07/20/2010 - 11:52

The Tauranga Community Housing Trust (TCHT) is a Charitable Trust that provides access to housing for people who have unmet housing needs.

Historically the TCHT specialised in housing disabled single people and families with a household member who was disabled. TCHT clients include people with physical, intellectual and sensory disability as well as people whose disability is age, accident or mental health related.

Tauranga Community Housing Trust
Whare Kaitiaki
‘Innovative Housing Solutions’Innovative Housing Solutions’

 
Our Belief:
Appropriate, affordable housing is fundamental to the health and well being of individuals, families and the community
 
Our Vision:
Innovative housing solutions that are sustainable
 
TCHT’s purpose is to: 
  • work with diverse groups and all sectors to improve access to quality, sustainable housing
  • provide a Housing Facilitation Service that develops housing solutions for individuals and families
  • advocate for and implement new housing models to meet current and future community needs
 
Our Priority:
  • households on low incomes
  • people with unmet housing needs
  • a specialist focus on disability, including accessible housing
 
Overview
The Tauranga Community Housing Trust (TCHT) is a Charitable Trust that provides access to housing for people who have unmet housing needs. The priority is households on low incomes and disabled people and their families. Historically the Trust specialised in housing disabled single people and families with a household member who was disabled. TCHT clients include people with physical, intellectual and sensory disability as well as people whose disability is age, accident or mental health related. In August 2009 the Trust broadened the criteria to include others in the community who can not access decent affordable housing.
 
Background
In December 2002 CCS BOP established a Housing Project. This local initiative was established in response to a growing concern that disabled people (individuals and families) were increasingly unable to access appropriate, affordable housing.  The role of the then housing worker was primarily to investigate the housing needs of disabled people and to identify potential solutions. 
 
 
The central problems at that time remain the same eight years on:
·         Lack of appropriate rental housing, particularly at the lower end of the market
  • Poor supply of accessible housing
  • General shortage of social housing in the Tauranga area
  • High demand for HNZC housing
  • Lack of consumer choice, particularly housing options that separate housing and support provision
  • General decline in homeownership - Tauranga is the least affordable areas for buying a property in New Zealand, with the average house price being 6.6 times higher than the household’s annual income.
  • Significant growth and other demographic changes in Tauranga and the Western Bay of Plenty region
 
The long-term vision of the TCHT is that the Trust will provide a framework for the delivery of innovative housing solutions that are sustainable; (mixed tenures and configurations) in partnership with key stakeholders from the community, public and private sectors.
 

In August 2009 the Trust broadened the criteria to include others in the community who can not access decent affordable housing